Flying target



Sept. 21, 1954 c. R. LIVERMON 2,689,733

FLYING TARGET Filed July 2, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR ATTORNEYSSept. 21, 1954 c. R. LIVERMON 2,689,733

FLYING TARGET Filed July 2, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR c241 H. mm

IQI/LQ WYMUL ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 21, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE FLYING TARGET Carl R. Livermon, Roxobel, C. Application July 2,1953. Serial No. 365,620

4 Claims. 1

The present invention is an improvement upon the target holdersdescribed in my Patents Nos. 2,481,522 and 2,620,189.

Extensive experience under varying conditions such as variations in thedexterity of different persons in operating the target holder,variations in the strength or vigor and manner of throwing the target,variations in the hardness of the surface upon which the target falls,variations in the distance from which the target is shot and the size ofthe shot and accidents such as the target striking a tree at shortrange, etc., have revealed certain defects which my present invention isdesigned to avoid.

A particular object of my present invention is to provide a targetholder which is substantially proof against any accidental release ofthe target 1. e. a target holder in which the strains and stressesapplied in throwing the target, in striking it with bullets and in itscontact with the ground and other object will not release the target. Tothis end I have provided positive means for tensioning the inner andouter conical surfaces of the holder on the target and for locking theparts under such tension by means of a latch which is substantiallyproof against accidental opening but at the same time simple and easy tooperate.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig.l is a front elevational view of the holder with the inner and outerconical portions separated to permit the insertion of a target,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the holder with the parts in closedrelative position but with the target omitted,

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of a modified form of the innerconical portion of the target holder,

Fig. d is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 looking in the directionof the arrows,

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2 looking in thedirectionof the arrows,

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of the target and holder with thefront portions of the target and the outer conical portion of the holdercut away to reveal the relationship of the parts and Fig. 7 is a planview of a target.

Referring to the drawings 1 is the outer cone and 2 the inner cone ofthe holder. The inner cone 2 is formed of spirally twisted steel wireand is provided at its upper end with the integral half ring or hook 3and at its lower end with the integral longitudinal projection 4 andloop 5 to which the latch member 6 and weight 1 are (Cl. Wit-105.4)

2 attached. The latch member consists of a straight rod with the loop 8at one end engaging the loop 5 and the loop 9 at the other end to whichthe throwing ring 10 is attached. The cone 2 is carefully shaped so thatas it is stretched when the latching member 6 is turned from itsposition in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 2 it will accuratelyfit the outer cone l and exert a substantial pressure on the target sothat the latter will be firmly held between the two cones as shown in.6. The weight ring 1 is attached to the "ring 5 by several links ofchain H.

The outer cone I is provided at the beginning of its topmost turn withthe laterally extending half loop 12 and at the end of said last turnthe half loop 13. Half loop 13, as appears in Figs. 1, 3 and 6 has thedownwardly extending hook M which is adapted to engage the half loop i2.The bottom turn of the outer cone I is formed into the closed ring l5.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 3 the inner cone 2 instead ofextending into the integral projection 4 and ring 5, has its end turnformed into the ring I 6 which holds the short rod I! having the loop Itat one end and the loop l9 at the other end, the latter being connectedto the latch member 6 and to the chain H.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, 20 is the target preferably formed of paperor thin cardboard and optionally provided with the tongue 2| and theslit 22 so that it can be bent to a frusto conical shape and secured. Inpractice I have found that the tongue and slit need not be used and maybe omitted.

In operation of the holder the inner and outer cones l and 2 areseparated as shown in Fig. 1, the target 20 is wrapped around the innercone, the outer cone is pushed up over the inner cone and the lower endof the target, the latching member 6 is pulled downwardly and then swungupwardlyand sprung into half loop I 3 and the hook It is then pushedover and dropped into the half loop I2. The operation as described mayappear to be complicated but can be performed, after a little practice,in a few seconds. When the parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 6 thetarget and holder are ready to be thrown as described in the patentsreferred to above.

To remove a used target and replace it with a new one the hook I4 ispushed upwardly to release it from the half loop l2, the latch memher 6is swung out of the half loop I3 and dropped to the position shown inFig. l and the inner and outer cones are separated and the used targetremoved. The new target is then inserted as described above.

It is noted that the half loop I3 serves to catch and hold the latchmember 6 until the hook I4 is inserted in the half loop I2 and that oncethese parts are assembled the latch member 6 cannot move and cannot bereleased excepting by pushing the hook I4 upwardly to release it fromthe half loop [2. This is very easy to do by the pressure of the thumbbut rarely occurs accidentally. The hook 14 preferably is bent or curvedslightly so that it must be pushed inwardly and upwardly to release itfrom the half loop l2. Thebend 13a at the base of the half loop I3preventsthe upper end of the latch member 6 from swinging around betweenthe topmost and the next adjacent turn of the outer cone. As-appears inFig. 5 the upper end of the latch member 6 is completely surrounded byportions of the half loops l2 and I3 and the next to the topmost turn ofthe cone I and is thus prevented from moving in any direction.

The hook 3 serves as a finger grip for holding the inner cone 2 when thedevice is being opened and closed.

I claim:

1. A target holder comprising an outer frusto conical member formed ofresilient wire, the topmost turn of said member having an outwardlyextending half loop at the beginning thereof and another outwardlyextending half loop adjacent the end thereof, a hook extendingdownwardly from the last named half loop and adapted to engage the firstnamed half loop, an inner frusto conical member formed of resilient wireand adapted to fit into said outer conical member and a latch memberpivotally secured to the lower end of said inner frusto conical memberand adapted to be swung around the lower end of said outer irustoconical member and to be engaged with the second named half loop.

2. A target holder as defined in claim 1 in which the two frusto conicalmembers are of such relative' size that the inner member is slightlystretched and the outer member is slightly compressed when the latchmember is swung around the lower end of the outer member.

3. A target holder as defined in claim 1 in which the free end of thelatch member carries a throwing ring.

4. A target holder as defined in claim 1 in which the lower end of theinner frusto conical member is attached to a weight.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 153,717 Magerhaus Aug, 4, 1874 223,023 Bakewell Dec. 30, 1879250,101 Powell Nov. 29, 1881 1, 3 ,8 Warren Oct, 1'7, 1933 2,481,522Livermon Sept. 13, 1949 2,620,189 Livermon Dec. 2, 1952

